Comfortable win for Tarla on her comeback

Despite being off the track for over two years Tarla showed she still has tonnes of ability as she took the Property Partners Earley Auctioneers Maiden over 1m 2f for her trainer Willie Mullins with Pat Smullen in the saddle.

The imported French bred 6yo daughter of Lavirco won a hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in April of 2010 on her first and only start for Willie Mullins.

Back on the racecourse this evening she was sent off the 4/7 favourite to oblige and she didn’t disappoint, hitting the front at the halfway stage and asserting from two furlongs out to score by a comfortable four and a half lengths at the line. An Spailpin Fanach finished best of the rest back in second at 7/1 for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning while Hilary was a further neck back in third at 8/1 for Gerard Stack and Niall McCullagh.

Winning rider Pat Smullen said afterwards: "She was over fresh on her first run back.

"I intended to get a lead but she was fighting me a bit so I let her go to the front.

"She won well. It was a modest race and provided she was fit enough I thought she would win. She handled the conditions well."

(On-course reporting by Gary Carson)